Prince George’s Makes a Move Towards Healthier Vending

Most Americans agree that eating healthy is very important. But even though most people want to eat healthy, there are barriers that make it difficult, including access and convenience. Healthy vending is a simple way to remove some barriers and give people choices and options when it comes to their health.

The Prince George’s County Council has introduced legislation that would do just that. Bill CB-93, would help create a healthier environment for government employees and visitors by ensuring that at least 50% of food and beverages in vending machines on government property meet healthy nutrition standards.

Prince George's County government is the largest employer in the county, so this wellness initiative could have health impact in the workplace and beyond. Through this policy, employees and visitors to county buildings, parks, and libraries would have healthy options to choose from, in addition to the current offerings. 

You're the Cure advocate and longtime Prince George's resident, Gail Harris-Berry, shared, “Adding nutritious foods to vending machines would give everyone the chance to eat a little better. So many people live with heart disease and obesity, especially in Prince George’s County. Having better food options would help to prevent diseases down the road and save people from expensive medical bills.”

Prince George's County has higher rates of obesity (34.2%) and diabetes (11.5%) than Maryland and the nation overall. By promoting nutrition and better diets, healthy vending could improve health outcomes, decrease chronic disease, and lower health care costs.

Let's make the healthy choice the easy choice by increasing healthy options in vending machines in Prince George’s County! Click here to tell Councilmembers that you support healthy vending in Prince George's!

<Special thanks to You’re the Cure intern Madeleine Homer for help developing this blog post!>